Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

September 7, 2008 12:33:48 AM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Atlantis Crew Counts Down

Posted Dec 4, 07 4:20 PM CST in Science & Health 

(Newser) – The crew of the space shuttle Atlantis arrived in Cape Canaveral yesterday to prepare for their Thursday launch, reports Space.com. NASA repaired damage to the foam covering the shuttle’s fuel tank over the weekend and said the repair shouldn’t delay the mission, which will add European research module Columbus to the International Space Station.

Shuttle pilot Alan Poindexter thanked engineers and technicians for preparing the shuttle, saying, “It's really their ship and we appreciate them loaning it to us for a couple of weeks." The 11-day mission is expected to include at least three spacewalks to install Columbus, conduct other stations upgrades and repairs, and swap out one space station crew member.

Source Space.com

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • There's a New Space Race, and US Is Losing

    Jul 9, 08 2:19 PM CDT
    There's a New Space Race, and US Is Losing While the rest of the world cooperates incessantly on all matters extraterrestrial, the US, hampered by self-imposed regulations meant to keep weapons out of enemies' hands, is swiftly losing dominance of the final frontier, the Washington Post reports. The US’ military space program is still gargantuan, but the civil program, NASA included, suffers from “limited public interest in space activity.” More »

  • Discovery Returns to Earth

    Jun 14, 08 12:30 PM CDT
    Discovery Returns to Earth The space shuttle Discovery swooped back to Earth today after successfully expanding the International Space Station, the AP reports. The shuttle’s seven crew members delivered Kibo, the new billion-dollar Japanese science lab, and a pump to repair a broken toilet. Discovery also brought home flight engineer Garret Reisman, who’d talked of missing his wife, calling her “my favorite earthling.” More »

  • Google's Brin Books Flight to Space Station

    Jun 11, 08 9:03 AM CDT
    Google's Brin Books Flight to Space Station Google co-founder Sergey Brin is turning space tourist, plunking down a $5 million deposit with Space Adventures for passage to the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket in 2011, reports the New York Times. Space Adventures is planning to buy two of the three seats aboard the mission, whose sole agenda would be tourism. More »

  • Shuttle Prepares to Head Home

    Jun 10, 08 9:07 PM CDT
    Shuttle Prepares to Head Home Shuttle astronauts bid farewell to the crew of the International Space Station today and closed the hatch between their spacecrafts, Space.com reports. Discovery plans to undock from the station tomorrow morning after a busy weeklong mission and begin a 4-day trip home. The shuttle crew delivered and installed a huge new space lab for the station. More »

  • Astronaut Waves Robot Arm

    Jun 9, 08 3:25 PM CDT
    Astronaut Waves Robot Arm A Japanese astronaut on board the International Space Station successfully unfolded a massive robotic arm from the newly installed Kibo laboratory today, Reuters reports. The arm moved slightly on Saturday, but today’s extension of the 33-foot device was the first full test, Space.com reports. The Japanese-built robot had nothing to grab; the equipment the arm will tend to arrives next year. More »

Space shuttle Atlantis commander Stephen Frick, front, speaking to the media, with his crew behind him from back left, European Space Agency astronaut Leopold Eyharts of France, mission specialist Stanley...   (Associated Press)
The crew of the Space shuttle Atlantis from left, European Space Agency astronaut Leopold Eyharts of France, mission specialist Stanley Love, European Space Agency astronaut Hans Schlegel of Germany,...   (Associated Press)
The space lab Columbus waits for installation for the next space shuttle launch in the Space Station Processing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., in this Oct. 31, 2007 file...   (Associated Press)
The space shuttle Atlantis nears the launch pad after leaving the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007. Atlantis is scheduled for launch...   (Associated Press)
The space shuttle Atlantis reaches the launch pad after leaving the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Saturday Nov. 10, 2007. Atlantis is scheduled for launch...   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 1)

Tags

NASA  • International Space Station  • space shuttle  • Atlantis Space Shuttle  • Columbus


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular


Other Science & Health Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »